Edge of the Knife
by planer sage
Summary: Anna is always the happy one, the one who brightens up everyones day. the one who drives away darkness and gloom. Arendelles favorite princess has her own darkness, stained red at the edge of a knife.
1. Chapter 1

Edge of the Knife

I don't own Frozen.

Anna closed her door and let out a deep sigh. Locking the door she went over to her desk and taking out a key hidden behind a book opened her locked drawer. Reaching in she took out a knife, a small dagger she kept razor sharp. Setting it down she undressed to her skin and stood in front of her vanity mirror completely naked. She looked at the light white scars that crisscrossed her body, each one a mark of her many mistakes, her inadequacies. She touched one near her pelvis, which she gave herself when she was eight for crashing into the suit of armor. Another on her abdomen when her tutor had told her parents about her failure in her lessons. One down her stomach when she had accidentally broke that window when she was twelve. Each one was a memory, starting when she was six, when not only the loneliness of her separation of her sister but the disapproval of everyone when she couldn't measure up to Elsa led to more than she could handle. She never blamed Elsa. No Elsa was perfect. She was the stupid one, the foolish one, the one who never grew up. The pain inside her had become so bad she had played rougher, purposefully bruising herself. The pain outside drove away the pain inside, but it wasn't enough. She was always tougher then she looked, and the pain never lasted long and neither did the bruises. It was when she had accidentally cut herself on the same armors sword that she found a better way. The first few times she had used the knights sword, cutting her hand on it at least once a day, as punishment for not getting Elsa out of her room, or bothering her parents, or some other problem she caused, but that had ended when her mother had found out. Anna had convinced her it was an accident with her usual smile, but afterward she had found her dagger in the old treasure room which no one paid attention to anymore. She had carefully sharpened it and after careful thought (strange for her) had realized that she had to hide the cuts from everyone and after cutting her arms a time or two found that that wouldn't work. So she had stripped down, stood in front of her mirror and made her first cut, right above her heart. Seeing the blade bite into her skin, feeling the sharp pain and her blood flow out had given her a sense of relief from the pain inside, from the disapproval and rejection and failure. More than that, it gave her a punishment for her failure. When she failed at her lessons her parents would give her warm encouragement and she would give herself a scar. When she accidentally broke something she would get a pat on the head and a scar. It got to the point where at the end of each day she would count up her mistakes and make the appropriate cuts. She fingered the scar over each breast, the most recent ones. One for what she did to her sister at her coronation, and one for when she fell for Hans. Today's scar was for making a fool of her sister _again_. She had taken Elsa's place at the council meeting as she was busy elsewhere and had tried her best to keep up with the statistics and numbers being thrown around as a new trade partner was being discussed, when the minister of commerce began laying into Elsa for severing ties with Wesleton and the Southern Isles.

"_What her majesty has done is a tragedy. I understand you are upset for the, misunderstandings of both Prince Hans and the Duke, but try to look at the situation through their eyes. Considering the situation the kingdom was in at the time, can they really be blamed for what was at the time a rather reasonable reaction?" He asked. Anna's blood boiled as she surged to her feet. _

"_How dare you. Hans and the Duke tried to kill my sister _your Queen_ she shouted at him". The minister's face turned red. _

"_How dare you." He growled back_

"_You were the one who fell for the prince, and pushed your sister into freezing the kingdom with your childish, selfish need for love and attention. If anything, the price for our lost trade should be on your head. How the king and queen bless them could give birth to such a spoiled, incompetent, ineffective, useless sop of a spare is a mystery that begs belief!" he shouted red faced. The entire room was silent, every other member of the cabinet looking at the man aghast. Anna stared at the man for a long moment as she spoke slowly and clearly. _

"_Fortunately, you're right. I am the spare. I have no power to restore trade with either the Southern isles or _Weaseltown" _she stressed earning a sneer from the man._

"_I am afraid you will have to discuss the matter with the Queen, but I assure you she will tell you the same thing" She said. _

"_If that is all?" She asked_

"_No it is not" The man growled but the other officials chimed in agreement with Anna. They rose and bowed to her as she left, the others following. As soon as she was around the corner she ran and didn't stop until she was safely in her room. _

Anna shook the recent memory away and drug the knife across her skin.

…

Elsa put the finishing touches on her little project.

"So what do you think?" She asked her co-conspirators.

"Wow" was all Olaf said.

"You said it" Kristoff agreed and Elsa smiled. Anna had made a suggestion to her a few days ago as the days grew hot about using her powers in one of the parks to make ice play equipment for children to deal with the heat.

"_I don't remember but I bet you kept us nice and comfy cool during the dog days of summer and I think some of the kids and a lot of adults would love it too. I mane not that your skating rink isn't great because it is, but if one of the parks were nice and frosty it would be a good place just to relax" Ann had said blushing slightly. _

"_Sorry, that's probably a stupid idea" She said, but Elsa's mind had been set to racing at the brilliant notion. _Now as she saw the kids laughing and playing, the adult's sitting comfortably on the icy benches, and kids lying in the small snow piles she realized just how brilliant it was.

"So let's go get Anna" Elsa said.

"Yes she'll love it, I just know it" Olaf said.

"I hope the council didn't give her too much trouble" Elsa wondered out loud. She had been concerned about canceling the council meeting, until Anna had told her that she would take her place.

"_Don't worry Elsa. I'll listen and report back to you. It's not like I have any authority to screw up anything and Kai will be right there to keep an eye on me" _Anna had said so casually and off handedly that Elsa had been pushed out the door and was down the hall before the words actually registered. She had complete and total faith in her sister, particularly when she heard how Anna had handled things after the kingdom froze.

"You know, I wish I could be half as good in a crisis as Anna is" Elsa said as they walked.

"Really?" Kristoff asked as they walked.

"Really. It seems that the worse the situation the more she knows what to do" Elsa said.

"You've got a point there. Even if it seems crazy at the time it always seems to work out in the end" Kristoff said, thinking about other times Anna had done something hair brained that worked out for the best.

"Did I ever tell you how she saved a kid from drowning using a pair of stockings a pair of clogs and a chocolate pie?" Kristoff asked.

"No" Elsa said. By the time they reached the castle they were both smiling at the amazing ingenuity of their favorite red head when they saw Kai waiting for them at the door.

"Kai, what's the matter? Did the council meeting go alright?" Elsa asked.

"Not exactly" Kai said.

"Anna didn't do anything rash did she?" Elsa asked. As much as she trusted her sister, Anna did look before she leapt and while that worked with saving drowning boys with pies, it did not work so well with politics.

"Not exactly" Kai said again.

"Kai" Elsa warned.

"Let us talk inside" Kai said. He led them all the way to Elsa's office and closed and locked the door before explaining exactly what happened in the council meeting. As soon as he finished the temperature in the room dropped to where he saw his breath. Elsa's face had become a frozen mask and Kristoff looked like he wanted to put his fist through something, or someone.

"Get the minister of commerce in here now" She growled.

"Already done" He said as a knock came at the door. Elsa sat behind her desk, back ramrod straight as the door opened and the glowering man stalked in escorted by two guards. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Silence" She spat coldly and the man's mouth clicked shut as the Queen rose to her feet, a flurry beginning to swirl around the room.

"What you have done is unforgivable. Not only have you openly allied yourself with two men, who conspired to murder me and my sister, you have insulted one of the most beloved figures in this kingdom" Elsa said, as the snow swirled around them. The man's face reddened.

"You would really end trade with two lucrative partners over a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding caused by your blithering failure of a sister?" He growled. The snow in the room stopped dead as Elsa glared at the man, rage like she had never felt before coursing through her. There was no fear, no self doubt, just anger, cold and clear.

"You are relieved of your duties and hereby banished from Arendelle. If you should ever show your face in this kingdom again, you will be summarily executed" She said softly.

"Your majesty" The man said, his face going white as the two guards with barely perceptible smiles grabbed the man by either arm and dragged him away.

"I already have choices for his replacement ready" Kai said a large smile on his face. He had never liked the man.

"Excellent. Now where is Anna, I need to make sure she is alright" Elsa said. Kai's face fell.

"As to that. There is something you should know" Kai said.

Years ago Gerda had found Anna trying to bandage herself up from her first cuts. Somehow the girl had managed to extract a promise from her not to tell anyone. Maybe it was the fact that they had hidden away Elsa's powers, or the fact that even the King and Queen wouldn't be able to stop the girl from doing what she was doing. Maybe Gerda saw it as a way for the poor child to deal with the loneliness and misery that she didn't understand. Whatever the reason Gerda had kept the girls secret, helping tend to herself inflicted wounds only revealing to Kai. It was only later she began to understand why Anna did it, and it almost tore her heart out. After hearing about the council meeting from Kai, about the horrible things the Minister of Commerce had said to her, Gerda had gone to fetch bandages and ointment knowing the princess would need them. She was walking to Anna's room when the last voice she wanted to hear swept up behind her like an arctic wind.

"Gerda" Elsa said as she stalked up the hallway, Kristoff and Olaf at her heels. When Kai had told her about Anna's secret cutting she hadn't believed him. Her sister was so positive, so immune to sadness, so indestructible it seemed completely insane. Now as she saw Gerda loaded down with bandages and walking toward her sister's room, she began to believe.

"Gerda, please tell me it isn't true?" Elsa asked. Gerda looked at her Queen, who right now looked like a girl scared for her sister, and sighed. As much as she was going to give it to Kai later, she understood his reasoning. Sighing she explained.

"Your sister has always been hardest on herself. No matter what praise is given her, or assurance, even from your parents, she always thinks the worst of herself, and she takes those mistakes out on herself with the edge of a knife" Gerda said, and felt the temperature drop.

"But, I haven't seen any scars. Her arms were clean at the coronation" Elsa said.

"Her midsection from her breasts on down is littered with scars" Gerda said but Elsa was already sweeping past her.

"Elsa wait" Kristoff said stepping in front of her.

"What do you mean wait?" Elsa cried only to have the man quiet her.

"If Anna hears us coming she'll ditch the knife throw on some cloths and pretend like nothing's wrong. Worse, she'll refuse to be tended too if we're there" He said and Gerda nodded.

"Then what do we do?" Elsa asked.

"I have an idea" Olaf said.

Anna had only intended to put the one cut down her right side for the failed council meeting, but found that the pain was still there, roiling. She stood there, the long gash bleeding.

"_It's not enough. I'll never measure up" _She thought as she brought the knife up and scraped it down her other side, hissing at the outer pain, but letting it dull her inner turmoil. She was so subsumed in the sensation that she didn't hear the slight click of her door unlocking.

The three of them peered through the crack of the door, and what Elsa saw made her heart stop. She could see Anna in her mirror, completely naked two long gashes down each side of her body, long thin white scars from her breasts to her pelvis. Her sister raised the knife again about to drag it across her body when Elsa surged into the room and before Anna could react had her in a bone tight hug, arms around her body, holding the knife in place.

"Please stop Anna" Elsa cried as Anna froze in her sister's embrace, multiple emotions going through her. Shame, guilt, anger, and sadness roared through her as she broke down in tears and sunk to her knees, Elsa following, the knife dropping from limp fingers.

"It hurts" Anna chocked through her tears.

"It hurts inside when I can't be what everyone wants. When I can't measure up, and the only way to make the hurting inside stop is to hurt outside" She said. Elsa wrapped her sister in an even tighter embrace.

"_All these years I thought she was just sad and lonely, I never thought she was hurting this much" _Elsa said.

"I'm sorry. I screwed up again at the council meeting just like always" Anna said putting her face in her hands. Elsa just held her, soothing her hair until she was all cried out.

"Anna, you are not a failure. You are not worthless. You are a brave, selfless, incredible women, and I am so proud of you and everything you do" Elsa whispered.

"But the commerce minister" Anna chocked.

"Has been banished, with the threat of execution if he ever returns" Elsa said smiling.

"Elsa you can't!" Anna gasped pushing away from her and wiping her eyes.

"You can't keep turning the kingdom upside down for me" Anna said.

"I would burn this kingdom to the ground if it meant you were safe and happy" Elsa said with deadly seriousness.

"That would be kind of hard for you" Anna said with a small smile and Elsa chuckled.

"Anna promise me you'll stop doing this to yourself, please" Elsa pleaded.

"I'll try Elsa. But I've been doing this so long, it's kind of ingrained" Anna said.

"_Anna and I are so alike sometimes. Just like I had troubled with my powers, she's going to have trouble dealing with this" _Elsa thought.

"I'll be here to help you, just like you've always been there for me" Elsa said.

"Ahem, your majesty, if you don't mind" Gerda said standing over them. Elsa looked form the woman to her sister, who still had two bleeding wounds.

"Oh" She said standing up Anna standing with her. Elsa watched as Gerda handed Anna the bandages and her sister patched up her wounds with a deftness and delicacy she rarely ever showed.

"_She must have been doing this for years to be this good at it"_ Elsa thought her heart sinking as she once again looked at all the scars.

"_There are so many of them" _Elsa thought

"_Never again"_ Elsa said as her sister dressed in her day ware.

"What are you doing?" Elsa asked.

"Getting dressed" Anna said.

"No, you should be in bed" Elsa said.

"Elsa, I used to patch myself up afterward and go right to dinner" Anna said and Elsa felt herself swallow at the thought of Anna butchering herself before going down to dinner. The few quiet dinners she had with her family Anna was always smiling, trying to keep things light and Elsa never suspected there might be bandages under her cloths.

"How often?" Elsa asked weakly as Anna fixed her hair. By this time Olaf and Kristoff had slipped into the room. Anna stopped what she was doing and sighed.

"Often enough" She said idly touching her side, not even wincing at the pain.

"_How can she be so strong, and so fragile at the same time"_ Elsa wondered.

"Um Anna, there's something we want to show you" Olaf said quietly.

"What?" Anna asked. Smiling Elsa took her sisters hand and led her out of the castle and down into the town, and into the park.

"I…don't believe it" Anna said as she looked at her idea come to life.

"It was a great idea" Elsa said kissing her sisters on the cheek.

"Princess Anna" A small voice cried and a dozen children ran up to her.

"Come play with us, come play with us" They shouted taking her hands.

"Alright, alright I'm coming" She said and ran off like she didn't have a care in the world.

"_But she does. I'm not the only one who concealed. I'm going to make sure she knows just how important she is to the kingdom and to me"_ Elsa thought as she saw her sister start a snowball fight with some of children, the parents looking on with warmth and adoration at the princess who felt no shame playing with their children.

**Just a little Character study I decided to do. From listening to making today a perfect day, it sounded like Anna is pretty much loved by Arendelle's population, at least the commoners, but given her personality, I wondered what the actual leadership would think of her. I also wanted to emphasize her low opinion of herself, even as she brightens everyone else's day and what kind of affect the isolation and the opinion of her as a spare would have on her. **


	2. The Girl You're Always Meant to Be

The Girl You're Always Meant to Be

After the dismissal of the minister of commerce the rest of the council had been "wary" of Elsa and "very" respectful of Anna. In a way Elsa was quite happy with the arrangement. The council was much easier to deal with these days. As for Anna, Elsa had immediately moved them back into the same room in order to keep an eye on her.

"_Elsa you don't have to do this. I mean I know how much you enjoy your privacy, and I know I can be irritating sometimes" _Anna had rambled but stopped when Elsa had wrapped her in a tight hug.

"_You never irritate me"_ Was all she said. To be truthful she had been wanting to move back into a room with Anna, not only to make up all the time they missed, but because the girls very presence and warmth helped keep the cold away. Listening to the agricultural ministers give a report about the expected crop yields she looked at her sister out of the corner of her eye. Ever since Elsa had found out about Anna's secret and had moved back in together Anna had been taking a more active role in the kingdoms affairs. She helped Elsa with her paper work, went to her meetings with her, and overall tried her hardest to help her rule, and Elsa was grateful. While Elsa was good with facts and figures, it turned out Anna's people skills were just as important, seen when Elsa had taken the third meeting with a diplomat from Cuzco for a coco bean shipment. They had been at an impasse until Anna had started talking to him, impressing him with not only her love of but knowledge of chocolate. After that they had begun negotiating and by the time they were done Anna had worked out a better deal with the man than Elsa could have ever hoped for. She frowned as she remembered the look Anna had given when she had turned from the ambassador and started when she saw Elsa as if just noticing she was there. Before Anna could open her mouth Elsa had put down paper and ink.

"_Ha, where have you been hiding this one your majesty. She has skinned me and I am trying not to thank her for it" _The man said laughing as he signed the trade agreement. The man left and Anna stood next to her hands clasped looking down, blushing in shame.

"I'm sorry" Anna mumbled before racing off. Elsa had run after her, but Anna had always been good at hiding when she wanted. Elsa had searched for her until she was almost late for the council meeting and had to race to the meeting room to find Anna waiting next to the door. Elsa had opened her mouth to scold her sister when she saw Anna still had her head down.

"_She still thinks she messed up somehow" _Elsa thought shaking herself. She breathed and took her sisters arm causing her to start. Anna looked up then away, but Elsa just led her into the council room. They sat down side by side and the meeting began. It was also boring, an update of current projects and affairs with other kingdoms at least until the foreign minister brought up a new issue.

"Your majesty, there have been a number of interested inquiries concerning the princesses marriage state" He said and both girls stiffened.

"As you know the tale of your sisters heroic actions have spread quiet far, and many of the young nobles have been rather charmed by her at the most recent celebrations" The man said and Elsa saw Anna blush, and couldn't help but smile.

"_She never thought her friendliness and warm heart would leave her with a line of men trailing at her heals?" _Elsa thought.

"_Of course she wouldn't. She's so enchanted by Kristoff thank heaven that no one else will be more than a friend"_ Elsa thought. She was about to reply when her sister stood.

"I understand, and apologize to any of the young noblemen if I gave them the wrong idea. I already have a suitor that I am fully in love with, and am looking for no others" Anna replied with a straight back and clear thoughtful speech she only showed on the fjord during the thaw, right before she decked Hans. She stared at the foreign minister with a hard glare that made the man take a step back and cough.

"Of course highness. I shall make your decision known" He said meekly. Elsa looked at Anna as she sat down, blushing again, beaming with pride. Anna was a different story

"_This is awful. Did I mess up? I don't think so. Elsa doesn't look mad" _Anna thought as she looked sidelong at her sister to see Elsa smiling at her. She felt a cool hand slip into hers, and sending comfort. Anna smiled and squeezed back.

Over the next few weeks, Anna became more confidant in her governing ability. She always learned better by doing than at a desk, and as she took on more and more duties, all the boring stuff she had never understood when explained by her tutor started to make sense. She still quailed at the documents and missives that Elsa dealt with so easily, but more and more she found she was an excellent debater and negotiator. She may be naïve in some aspects, but if she knew what she was facing she could talk down almost any delegate or difficult businessman that came their way. She found out later that she had in fact undone some prickly situations that Elsa herself had gotten the kingdom into with a few traders. Anna scheduled meetings with them and one by one got them to reverse their decisions, and every time she heard the same thing, that Elsa had been elegant and diplomatic, but also aloof, cold, sometimes condescending, and prickly. Her last meeting of the day had her signing an agreement with a Spanish shipping magnet about spices.

"I must say your highness, it has been a pleasure doing business with you" The man said as they finished a rather delightful tea that had also had hot chocolate with among all things chili in it.

"Chocolate first came from Mexico after all" The man had said.

"I know, and the Aztecs were the first to drink it with chili added in. I've always wanted to try it" Anna said delighted as she took a small sip, the sweet and spicy liquid coating her tongue as the man laughed.

"I understand you are one for straight talk. May I make a comment without you getting offended?" He asked his eyes twinkling.

"I'll try" Anna said suspiciously.

"It is nothing, but I and many others as well, have enjoyed negotiating with you. You're sister the queen, she is a strong, wise, and just ruler, but talking with her, is like talking to a glacier, with just as much chance of causing an avalanche with the wrong word. You, you are tough but fair, reasonable, and quit the splendid companion" He said sipping his own drink. If you were not already tied to a man, I would perhaps throw my hat in for your hand. As it is, I can only curse your mans good fortune and pray he knows just what a prize he has pulled" He said laughing.

"Um…thank you. I think I should go…and give this to my sister." Anna said blushing and standing quickly, trying not to overturn everything. The man just stared at her, a contemplative look on his face.

"So the rumors that you do not take praise well are also true" He said as he stood a kind look on his face.

"Do not doubt your own worth princess. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Your sisters is that she's as prickly as an urchin, and I won't apologize for saying so" The man laughed with such good humor that Anna could not help but giggle in return.

Elsa was sitting at her desk when she heard Anna's personal knock.

"Come in" Elsa said smiling. Anna had been in meetings and negotiations most of the day, and not only had Elsa missed her, she had been slightly worried about the girl overworking herself. But Anna stepped in a bright grin on her face as she silently walked over and put a small pile of papers on the desk. She stood silently, fidgeting as Elsa looked through them, her eyes going wide in shock.

"_These are all the trade agreements that I thought were gone"_ Elsa thought.

"So, how did I do?" Anna asked nervously. Elsa got silently to her feet and coming around the desk wrapped Anna in a warm tight hug.

"How?" Elsa asked looking at the papers.

"Um…well, I was just me. I sat with them, we talked, hade tea together, bargained, it was actually fun" Anna said putting a phantom hair behind her ear, her nervous tick.

"But there's something you're not telling me" Elsa said raising an eyebrow. Anna took a deep breath before sighing.

"Elsa, you're a great queen. You smart, and wise, and confident, and a million other things I could never hope to be, but when you negotiate, you can't just sit with them for five minutes, give them a few cool stares and expect them to bow to your will" Anna said. Elsa blinked twice before responding.

"I don't do that, and I know how to negotiate. Father taught me" Elsa said defensively.

"Did he teach you how to sit with someone, talk with them over lunch? Get to know them on a personal level?" Anna asked. Elsa blinked again and remembered that yes her father had taught her such things, and then recalled her own negotiations with that didn't go so well, negotiations that consisted of light snacks, small talk she had been quick to push through, and terse offers that had been met with stony looks and equally terse counter offers that had caused tempers to flare and the meeting to end quickly.

"I hate to say this Elsa, but you can be, touchy, especially when you don't get your way" Anna said wincing at the way she said it.

"No wait, that didn't come out right" She tried to back track, only to have Elsa begin giggling, leaning on her desk.

"Oh Anna, I'm sorry" Elsa sighed.

"For what?" Anna asked.

"For thinking that you had nothing to contribute, just like everyone else" Elsa said wrapping Anna in another hug.

"Your right. I may be queen but I'm not that good with people, not like you are. You can walk into a room and be everyone's best friend in an hour, something that is essential for a negotiator" Elsa said making Anna blushed.

"Well, I can't stand your paper work, and I couldn't compose one of your elegant wordy treatise if my life depended on it" Anna shuddered and then took Elsa's hands.

"So, why don't I deal with the people? Not just the traders, but the ambassadors and visiting dignitaries. I mean, I don't have any real power so I can't promise anything you wouldn't approve of, but I can keep them charmed enough to remain open to negotiations" Anna said winking causing Elsa to laugh.

"That would be perfect" Elsa sighed. If there was one thing she truly hated about being queen it was actually dealing with people, of having to cater to egos and agendas when all she wanted was to freeze their mouths shut. At least on paper responses could be composed, received and responded too in a proper amount of time. But Anna, she could be awkward and rambly sometimes, but her pure charm and charisma more than made up for it, and Elsa knew from personal experience that her younger sister's wits were frightingly quick whether in thought or action. Sometimes that caused problems if Anna thought before she acted, but considering she always dug herself out of her own messes, and had dug Elsa out of her own self made mess, that was irrelevant.

"So, the queens right hand reporting for duty" Anna said clicking her heels together and saluting, making Elsa laugh.

"Okay right hand, I think you've done more than your share for today. Come on, time for dinner" Elsa said. Anna took her sister by the arm and led them toward the dining room. After dinner, despite Anna's comment about hating paperwork she helped Elsa with the last of it.

"If, heaven forbid anything happened to you, which I would sell my soul to make sure it didn't, I would have to do this. I may hate it, and I may not be good at it, but I should at least know the basics like I always should have" Anna said snidely as she read over another document sighing, when she felt a cool hand grip hers.

"Elsa?" Anna asked looking at her sister, to see warmth and love pouring out of her eyes.

"Thank you Anna" Elsa said.

"For what?" Anna asked.

"For being you" Elsa said softly.

"_For being the brave, adorable, selfless, loving person who never gave up on me, even when I gave up on myself"_ Anna blushed but smiled back.

"All I ever wanted was for you to be proud of me" Anna said softly.

"I have always been proud of you" Elsa said and Anna grinned as she put her hand over her sisters.

"Thank you for being the smart, responsible, caring person who always took care of me" Anna said.

"_Not always, but I promise to be there for you from now on always"_ Elsa thought.

"And I promise to be here for you, always. _If _I marry Kristoff, and _if _we have children, even then I will be here to help you, so you might have to get used to the sound of kids running around" Anna said grinning. Before and during the coronation the thought would have terrified her, but the thought of having children, children like she and Anna had been filling the castle with warmth, laughter, and joy filled Elsa with a happiness she didn't expect.

"That would be nice" Was all she said. They continued to work until they finished then walked tiredly to bed.

"_This is certainly easier with someone helping"_ Elsa thought as Anna brushed her hair. Due to her powers she had had the servants stop catering to her at an early age, taking care of her own dressing and maintenance. Her powers made dressing as simple as a wave of her hand, but it was nice having someone, particularly her sister brushes her hair.

"Try not to fall asleep. You still have to do me" Anna said in her ear.

"No promises" Elsa mumbled. Despite her words she still brushed out her sister's hair, enjoying the brushing almost as much as being brushed. Once Elsa was done Anna gave her a warm hug and literally collapsed into her bed. Elsa stood at the edge of her sisters bed, wondering if she should ask her, but also afraid that she would say no.

"Elsa, is something the matter?" Anna asked rolling over.

"Could I, sleep with you tonight?" Elsa asked, rubbing her arm. Yes she liked her privacy and silence to read or work, but she hated loneliness, and having her sister who was always there to keep her company even if it was silently had been the best thing about their reconciling. But there were still some nights when she feared crawling into her cold bed, not only because it was lonely, but because she often had nightmares about Anna freezing on the fjord and shattering, or never unfreezing, or Hans killing her, or Anna just giving up on her and leaving, never to come back. Ever since she had moved back into the same room, the nightmare's had mostly been driven away, but her cold bed still sacred her sometimes, and she remembered when she or Anna had crawled into each other's beds when they were younger, and how those were the only nights Elsa couldn't feel ice flowing through her veins. Anna didn't say anything just raised the sheet and let Elsa slide in. Anna turned and drew Elsa to her putting her head under the older girls chin. Elsa inhaled Anna's sweet summery scent as she drew her sister to her in return, reveling in the younger girls warmth that she hadn't experienced in a lifetime. Warm and comforted the rulers of Arendelle slipped into a warm slumber untroubled by nightmares, doubt, or trouble.

**Okay, second chapter to what was supposed to be a one shot. This was also a bit of insight into Elsa. Most stories depict her as pretty much perfect, but her isolation and introverted personality might not make her the best with people face to face, while Anna is a social butterfly and "Princess meet and greet" which I also wanted to play up. Anyway, tell me what you think. **


End file.
